Overview

Students must complete a core curriculum, their distribution courses, two laboratory rotations and also must pass the qualifying examination. Afterwards they select one of the five IBME programs in which to take advanced elective courses and perform dissertation research under the mentorship of a participating faculty member. Overall, students are required to complete a total of 72 credits, with a minimum of 36 credits of graduate-level courses, typically distributed as follows:

• Core curriculum (18 units)
• Distribution courses (9 units)
• Program electives (9 units)

A minimum of 24 credits of dissertation research is required.

Like the research rotations, the distribution requirement is intended to provide some breadth to a student's education in biomedical engineering prior to their specializing in one area. Students must complete one graduate level course in at least three of the five IBME programs.

Each entering student is guided by an academic advisor who is a primary faculty member of the School of Engineering and Applied Science. The advisor helps in the selection of courses. The advisor also helps select rotations with the aim of matching each individual’s research interests with those of a research supervisor.

As a student progresses through the doctoral program, the advisor's role is replaced by the dissertation mentor to reflect the increasing focus on an area of specialization. By the time research is completed, the student will have assembled an advisory group consisting of his/her dissertation committee.

Students begin gaining research experience immediately by participating in research rotations. Students are required to complete two separate research rotations by the end of their first full year of enrollment and may conduct an additional rotation. The rotations can be performed under the mentorship of any of the full-time faculty of the department or the IBME and must be of at least one semester in duration. A written report, co-signed by the rotation mentor signifying completion of the work, is required at the end of each rotation. 

Laboratory rotations serve three important purposes.  First, they provide an opportunity for each student to be exposed to and learn in some detail several different areas of biomedical engineering research. This broadening experience, prior to the subsequent necessary specialization, should prove to be useful as their careers develop. Second, the rotations serve as a testing ground for both students and potential research mentors for the long-term affiliation that is associated with a doctoral dissertation research. Third, the field of research represented in one rotation report serves as the basis for the oral qualifying examination.

All students are required to attend a research seminar sponsored by the department (or with permission, by one of the IBME Programs each week). No credit is given for attendance but students are given a P/F grade and must receive a passing grade for each semester of attendance. These seminars provide exposure to state-of-the-art research by scientists both within and outside of Washington University. Regular attendance over the duration of a student's tenure provides an invaluable educational experience.

Journal Clubs

Each of the research programs sponsors a journal club, whose purpose is to critically analyze recent journal publications of interest to investigators in that program. Students conducting research in the program, as well as those who are rotating through the program’s laboratories, are required to attend these sessions. Generally, a student volunteers to read and present a recent paper of wide interest. Questions from faculty and other students bring out the significance of the paper’s findings and possible weaknesses in its arguments.

Journal Club is an important stepping stone as a student moves into the research phase of their doctoral program. In particular, it provides excellent preparation for the dissertation defense.

Qualifying Exam and Thesis Proposal

No later than September 1 of the second year of enrollment in the doctoral program, students are required to take and pass both written and oral qualifying examinations.  The written portion consists of one of the rotation reports, while the oral portion covers the field of research within the chosen rotation report. 

A written and oral thesis proposal examination is completed within two years of completion of the qualifying exam.  The thesis committee must meet annually, however, so the thesis committee must be formed within one year of passing the qualifying exam.  The members of the thesis committee may change as the research topic evolves.

Dissertation Research

After the thesis proposal is approved, no later than two years after successfully completing the qualifying examination, dissertation research occupies the bulk of the student's effort. Upon completion of the dissertation, students will defend the dissertation.  After this defense, presentation to and acceptance by the registrar's office of the final dissertation completes the degree requirements.

Teaching

Each doctoral student is required to serve as an unpaid teaching assistant for one semester after they have passed their qualifying examinations. For those desiring an academic career, they are strongly encouraged to spend at least one additional semester as a teaching assistant in one of the department's undergraduate courses.

Scientific Scholarship and Ethics

Doctoral students are expected to uphold the highest standard of ethics in all their endeavors and to make significant scientific contributions through collaboration with life scientists and through publication of their dissertation research.  In almost all cases, this contribution will be to the body of knowledge in their area of specialization. In most instances, publication of a significant portion of the results should appear in either engineering and biomedical journals.